Self locking adjustable boot



DCC. 1, '1%31. Q W, KING SELF LOCKINGV ADJUSTABLE BOOT Filed April 8. 1929 in veiller y Attorneys l 00 Aff/A44 Patented Dec. 1, 1931 snm: LOCKINGADJUSTABLE Boost` Y ufAppliationIed April 8,l

Myinvention relates to a self locking adjustable tire boot designedto be `used for protecting the inner `tube in the case of blowouts and thin places in the tire casing, and

which shall not necessitate 'the boot being vulcanized to the casing.

Heretofore,fboots of this character have been .usually .formed in sizes to t the different sizes of tires and various means have been employed to secure the sides of the boot to the rim so as to takeV as much as possible of the strain off ofthe weak` casing. Y

Diiliculties have beenI encountered with boots of this character due to the fact that the inner diameter of casings is. not the same j even with tires4 off thefs'ame s ize and it is extremelydicult to obtain such a fit of the" boot around the innertube as to avoid chafing of thev casing where the boot fits around the tube too tightly, or undue strain on the casing where 'theboot fits around the tube too loosely.v Furthermore, where the bootis providedA with a selfvulcanizing substance to v prevent relative movement between the boot and the casing, ass'oon as 'a puncture occurs, both the tube and the boot must be discarded and the vulcanizing of the boot to the casing injures the casing.

I have conceived that this end can be most eectively accomplished by providing the boot with means which will act automatically, responsive to the inflation of the inner tube, to permit the inner tube and the boot to expand to a size sufficient to lill the casing and then automatically hold the boot to its fixed size after it has expanded. My improved boot thus overcomes the two major diiculties heretofore common to devices of this character, namely, chang of the casing or undue strain thereon.

More particularly, my. invention contemplates providing a boot which has overlapped portions adapted to permit it to be expanded and contracted within reasonable limits for use with a number of diderent sized tires and the free edges of the boot are adapted to be secured together in adjusted position by a strap or equivalent means in cooperation with a novel automatic locking means therefor which are engaged between the bootand the 1929. seriai No. 353,385.

tire or rim so as to be held by pressure vfrom the innerl tube. Y

My invention further contemplates prof vid-ing the free edgesof the boot with vsecuring means which are: acted upon by the ination of the inner tube so as to hold the boot to the proper size for service within the re!` paired casing without'its being dependent pon the strength of the-casing toc-onfine and f.

protect the `inner tube.. VA

'My' invention further contemplates employing asa securing means a strap of rela tively soft .materialwhich is securedV tojone side of the boot and isadapted to bel passed under a guide or tongue which is slitted out of relatively heavy and tough material on the other side of the boot, the padbeing so arranged and disposed that the inflation ofthe tube withinthe boot acts against the tongue to bind on and lock the strap when the boot has been expandedtot the "cross section of p the casing.

M invention further comprises the novel detalls of construction and arrangements oi" parts,V which, in their referred embodiment only, are illustrated' 1n the accompanying drawings which form a part of this invention, andinwhichz- Fig. 1 is a plan view of my improved boot showing the strap engaged under the clamping guide or tongue,V V f F' g. 2f'sa cross-sectional view taken onthe line II-II of Fig. l, showing the boot in oplerating position in a casing with the elamp-` ing tongue'engaging the strap, Y Y

` Fig. 3 is a cross-sectiona Y Y1 view ofthe boot removed Yfromthe casing, and y y Fig.4 is alongitudinal cross-sectional view enlarged on the line IV-S-'IV of Fig. 1. Similar reference numerals refer to similarfparts throughout .the drawings. Y

I have shown my boot associated with a typical tire casing 5 having within it anv inner tube 6, both tube and casing being of standard construction. bootS is 'of any standard construction V'in so faras its body portionthat engages the tread portion of the casing* is Vconcernedgbeing madeV up in any suitable shapeandof any t suitable material `to serve the'purpose's con- 100 est My improved tire 95 y Y relatively soft material such as fab-ric.. )The strap 12 isi attached to the boot'by vulcanizing as IIhave found thatrivetsl extending throughy the boot are injurious to the inner A*becoming displacedci'nthecasing. It will Y furthermore be apparent that more than one tube. Y-

VTo the side 1.() ofthe boot AI attach an automatic locking means for the strap 12 which locking means is preferably formed ofl heavy` leather orlike material in the form of a pad 13 riveted or otherwise secured by'fasten- Y. ingsle to the boot and provided with a e tongue 15 fformedby slits V11 in the body of the pad,Y thereby. formingaftongue 15 exp-` tendingv longitudinally of the pad.

The slits are long enough to permit the V`strap'12 to be threaded under the tongue 15 Y and the boot is adjusted in position for use..V

Y It will be understood that before the strapis V35 into the casing. TheA pad 13 is' preferably arthreaded under thel tongue 15,v the boot is fittedy over the innertu'be opposite the blow? out orweakened portion ofthe casing and Ywhen thusapplied the'strap is threaded un-y der the tongue 15 and/[drawn tight enough to contract the vboot so that it will viit easily ranged opposite" the center ofthe rim 18 andV thus lies opposite the space provided be-Y Y tween the beads 16 of the casing." Thetboot is alsopositioned softhat the` pad .13 is on 1 the opposite side *ofy the'casing from the hole orV blowout 17 in the'casing which is to be repaired. K t

As the inner tube is inflated it expands and as it expands the overlappingportions 9 and 10 of thefrboot are caused .to graduallyslip one on the other, which movement is permitted because the fabric strap 12 is still relatively loosely-held' under theheavy leather tongue 15,v but it will be apparent that as the inflation proceeds and the inner tube and the i L overlapping portions of thetboot are forced down between thebeads'andinto engagement lwith thetirerim 18, thetongue is forced down intothe. slots from which -itis displaced` inthe pad, and. binds'with'increasing power upon: the strapluntil the .strap is gripped and firmlylocked'whenthe"boot is expanded tothe proper'siz'e. The strap' 12 is preferably ofn uniform width throughoutso as to'resist Yslipping as much as possible. When this occurs, the boot does not expand further'but takes onv itself the yfulls'train .thereafter resulting froml the expansionof the inner tube and thus relieves theweakamd' Casing @fgther'stmnf ,fufl'hermofefas the boot completely lls'the casing, there is',

' protect the inner tube.

n, While I prefer to arrange the pad te be pressed againstthe rim, the same action occurs where the padris compressed anywhere `between theirr'ner'tubeV and the casing so that the device will work regardless of the pad strap and pad may be employed if desired.

Vhile I haveshown my invention inbut one form, it will be obvious to `those' skilledEl in the art that it is, not so limi-ted ibutr is susceptible of various changes and modifications,l without departing from the spirit thereof and I desire therefore thatonlysuch f 'limitationsshallbe placed thereupon as' are imposedby the prior art oras are specifically set forth in the appended claim.

VVhatIclaimis: y In a self locking interchangeable tire boot, the combinationwithalwheel rim, o'fover lapping vboot sidepo'rtions',v ai pad y.ofl relativelyv heavy leather secured to an yoverlap` ping edge of the boot and adapted to been"-v gaged by the wheel rim whentliebeot is ini normal position rand when the tireis in'- flated, said pad having slits in the body thereofforming a tongue, andk a fabrics'trap` secured to theother side ofthe hoot1 vandl threaded under the 'tongue. I y pj, ,Y

In testimony whereof I aiix myisi'gnature.

- CHARLES vw; Kme; 

